Sanders to Stay

The Steelers matched the offer sheet for the receiever who'll replace Mike Wallace in the starting lineup.

The Steelers matched the offer sheet and will keep wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, the team announced last night.

The cost for the one-year contract – that was offered to Sanders by the New England Patriots – will be $2.5 million, or about an additional $1.2 million over the $1.32 million the Steelers had previously tendered to Sanders.

The additional $1.2 million will leave the Steelers only about $800,000 under the salary cap, but will give them a starting wide receiver opposite Antonio Brown for at least one more season.

The Steelers can extend Sanders's contract, and per team policy they would only do so before the start of the 2013 season.

After the Steelers matched the offer, Sanders tweeted the following:

"Glad the business side is out of the way. Now it's back to playing football and bringing number 7 back to Pittsburgh. Love!!!"

By matching the offer, the Steelers passed on the third-round pick the Patriots would've provided as compensation.